Electrical connector

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO A SPACER WHICH PROVIDES A LONG LINE ELECTRICAL CONTACT BETWEEN CAPACITOR OUTPUT TERMINALS AND A FLAT PLATE OR BETWEEN FLAT PLATE CONDUCTORS WHICH CARRY VERY HIGH-PULSED CURENTS. THE SPACER PROVIDES A LONG LINE CONTACT BETWEEN THE SURFACES ALONG WHICH THE CURRENT IS DISTRIBUTED TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL ARCING BETWEEN THE SURFACES.

Feb. 16, 1971 {M'- P; YOUNG 3,5 .L'ILECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 13, 1969 MARVIN P. YOU/V6 INVENTOR v Map-{ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,564,481 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Marvin P. Young, Alexandria, Va., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Jan. 13, 1969, Ser. No. 790,644 Int. Cl. H011- 31/08 US. Cl. 339-19 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to a spacer which provides a long line electrical contact between capacitor output terminals and a flat plate or between flat plate conductors which carry very high-pulsed currents. The spacer provides a long line contact between the surfaces along which the current is distributed to prevent electrical arcing between the surfaces.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a spacer element and more particularly to a spacer which provides an electrical path between electrical conductors that prevents arcing due to large currents.

Magnetohydrodynamic research, high temperature physic research, laser research and many other facilities involve electrical systems that require high current conductors such as for instance 20x10 amperes. Heretofore, problems have existed in such systems due to arcing between voltage supply means such as capacitors and fiat plate conductors which transmit the high current to the load facility. In the past, high current producing capacitors have been connected directly to a plate conductor by use of a nut which is threaded onto the capacitor stud. The nut presses the plate against the upper end of the capacitor or against a lower nut which is threaded onto the stud. Thus, the conductor plate is secured between the two nuts or between the upper end of the capacitor and an upper nut. In such an arrangement, the current follows the outer surface of the stud to the plate. This assembly leaves tapered spacings and weak pressure contact points which causes arcs to start. Once an arc starts, the surface material deteriorates rapidly which makes the contacts unusable and must be replaced to avoid dangerous consequences.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a spacer which is constructed to give long line contact on the outer periphery on each end where contact is made between a capacitor output terminal and the spacer at one end, and a plate conductor and the spacer at the opposite end. If two fiat plate conductors are joined or any other combination of electrical elements, contact is made between the ends of the spacer and the electrical conductor elements. The outer periphery of the spacer provides the longest feasible line contact; therefore, the smallest current per centimeter of surface contact. The spacer is placed around the stud or bolt normally used for securing electrical elements together and instead of the current following the outer surface of the stud or bolt, the current will follow the larger surfaced spacer along the peripheral surface. The spacer makes good contact between the conductors, therefore, no arcing will be produced such as in the prior art contacts.

3,564,48l Patented Feb. 16, 1971 ICC It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a good electrical contact between an electrical output terminal and a conductor plate.

Another object is to provide an electrical connection between two electrical conductors which provides a long line contact between the two elements with evenly distributed pressure at the end surface of the connector.

Yet another object is to provide an electrical conductor spacer which may be made in a variety of sizes and shapes and of different electrically conductive materials.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 illustrates an electrical spacer electrically connecting the output terminal of a low inductance high voltage capacitor to a plate conductor.

FIG. 2 illustrates an electrical spacer connecting two flat plate conductors carrying very high-pulsed currents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now referring to the drawing, there is shown by illustration in FIG. 1 an electrical connector connecting the output terminal of a capacitor to a flat plate conductor. As shown, the capacitor includes an output terminal 11 which is provided with a connector stud 12 screw threaded into the terminal and locked in place by a nut 13. An electrical spacer 14 formed by a cylindrical electrically conductive material tubular in form that has a centering guide 15 extending from the inner surface toward the stud 12 separates an electrical plate conductor 16 from the output terminal of the capacitor. The conductor plate 16 has an aperture 17 through which the stud passes. The aperture 17 is slightly larger than the stud but is of less diameter than the spacer 14 such that the electrical plate rest on the upper surface of the spacer 14. A washer is placed over the upper end of the stud and rest on the upper surface of the conductor plate. A nut 21 is screw threaded onto the outer end of the stud against the washer to secure the conductor plate against the upper surface of the spacer and the lower end of the spacer to the output terminal. The nut 21 is tightened to apply an evenly distributed pressure between the ends of the spacer, the conductor plate and the upper end of the output terminal. A high voltage bushing 22 may be placed around the high current spacer in the area between the upper surface of the capacitor and the lower surface of the conductor plate.

FIG. 2 illustrates two conductor plates secured together by use of a high current spacer. This arrangement is the same as that for FIG. 1 with the exception that a plate 23 replaces the high current capacitor and a bolt 24 passes through each of the plates 16 and 23. The bolt may have a head 25 on one end which requires insertion of the bolt from one side through to the other or the bolt may have threads on each end which requires a washer and nut assembly on each end of the bolt to secure the plates together electrically with the high current spacer between the two plates.

The spacer may be of various sizes and shapes, however the line contact of the surfaces must be smooth and forced together with a sufiicient pressure. The Walls should be thick enough to withstand the compressional forces required to assemble the spacer between the current source means and the plate conductor. Also, the spacer must be of sufiicient strength to withstand the magnetic forces produced by the current load transmitted by the spacer. It is well known that fast-rising pulsed electrical current follows the path of least inductance and that the current follows the skin of the conductor. Therefore, since the high current spacer is large compared to that of the stud or bolt and surrounds the stud or bolt,

the current will flow along the outer surface of the spacer. The electrical spacer is constructed such that the bottom and top surfaces make a smooth complete contact with the conductive surfaces that it separates. Therefore, there will be a complete contact between the surfaces so that there will be no arcing between the spacer and the conductors. Since the spacer is large and provides the longest feasible contact on the outer periphery of each end, a smaller current flow per centimeter will pass from the current supply to the plate conductor that would be possible with only the bolt connection. In the arrangement shown, the bolt or stud only serves to secure the elements together since no current flows along the bolt or stud.

This invention has been described as being used to secure a conductor plate to the output terminal of a capacitor or between two plate conductors by use of a high current spacer. The spacer may be used to connect a high current switch to a capacitor or for any other purposes which benefits from a long line contact between surfaces and which provides an evenly distributed pressure at the surface on which the current passes. Therefore, the device may be beneficial in many other situations for conducting a high current from a high current source to another electrical conductor.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a high electrical current transfer system for trans mitting a high current from a pulsed current source means to a flat plate conductor without any arcing resulting between the pulsed current source means and the plate conductor; which comprises,

a cylindrical linear tubular electrically conductive spacer means,

said spacer means adapted to separate said pulsed current source means from said plate conductor and to transmit a pulsed current flow from said pulsed current source means along the surface to said plate conductor,

said spacer means providing a long line contact between said current source means and said plate conductor, and

means separated from said spacer means for securing said spacer means between said pulsed current source means and said plate conductor in electrical contact therewith.

2. In a high current transfer system as claimed in claim 1; in which said spacer means includes a centering means extending from the inner surface thereof in a direction toward the axis thereof.

3. In a high current transfer system as claimed in claim 2; wherein said electrical source means is a capacitor.

4. In a high current transfer system as claimed in claim 4; wherein,

said capacitor includes a stud means extending from an output terminal,

said stud means extends through said spacer along the axis thereof and secures said spacer in position between said capacitor terminal and said plate conductor.

5. In a high current transfer system as claimed in claim 2; wherein said current source means is a flat plate conductor.

"6. In a high current transfer system as claimed in claim 6; which includes,

a nut and bolt means for securing said spacer between said flat plate conductor and said flat plate conductor electrical source means,

said bolt extending through said spacer along the axis thereof.

7. In a high current transfer system as claimed in claim 5; wherein the diameter of said spacer means is large compared with said stud means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,951,591 3/1934 Anzalone'et a1. 339232 2,030,522 2/1936 Johansson 339-19 3,166,650 2/1965 'Heidrich 339222 JAMES A. LEPPINK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

